Broadcast push set for Castro's Pre-K effort

Updated 10:14 pm, Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The Pre-K 4 SA campaign will debut a series of political advertisements on television this week in a “robust” broadcast effort expected to last through Election Day.

The first ad, airing Thursday, features Mayor Julián Castro asking voters to approve the initiative.

“Children are our future — and our future workforce — so I hope you'll consider voting ‘yes' on Pre-K 4 SA,” he says on the 30-second spot. “Right now, almost 6,000 kids have no pre-k, or only half-day, so voting ‘yes' will strengthen K-12 education, get parents more involved and stimulate young minds through age 4, when brain development is at its peak.”

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The advertisement, which includes video of children and parents, shows Castro with the campaign's chalkboard “Pre-K 4 SA: Invest in Our Kids” logo that reminds voters the initiative is “at the bottom” of the Nov. 6 ballot.

Castro then looks at the camera. “Vote ‘yes' on Pre-K 4 SA,” he says emphatically. “It's a smart investment for a smart future.”

Campaign manager Christian Archer said Tuesday that a second ad highlights a local award-winning schoolteacher. A third advertisement may also be released before Election Day, he said.

The campaign already has spent $400,000 on ad space with Time Warner, Grande and AT&T U-Verse, Archer said.

“That's a pretty strong buy,” he said. “It will cover the whole spectrum — everything from Sports Center to Jeopardy to Oxygen (a cable network), as well as all of the major networks.”

The campaign has received some big checks since it filed its 30-day contributions and expenditures report last week. USAA doubled its original $25,000 contribution, and both Frost Bank and Toyota contributed $50,000, Archer said.

The proposal, if approved, would have an initial eight-year period before it would return to voters.

Pre-K 4 SA targets children who meet certain financial, language and family guidelines, with 10 percent of the slots reserved for children outside those criteria.

The campaign's ad buy is expected to pick up as Election Day nears. Archer said he's looking at expanding to Spanish-language television and radio, which typically has minute-long ads.

Along with the 5,000 yard signs and 1,000 4-by-8-foot signs and billboards already out, automated calls and direct mail pieces will soon descend upon voters.

Archer said the campaign is doing well financially in order to handle its advertising.

“We've done really well so far,” he said. “Our totals are now over $600,000 raised — and we will do better than that.”

The campaign will file its final contributions and expenditures report eight days before the election.